Double Take

I love being an identical twin. I wouldn't change it for any amount of money, happiness, anything. It's like having a permanent best friend.

A specific instance has continued to pop up this last week as Eryn and I went back to school. Here's a sample scenario and you'll understand what I'm talking about.

"Hey Eryn, will you do something for me?" Eric, the SIFE President asked me.

"I'll do something for you, but only if you call me Kaila," I responded.

"Oh, well, if you two didn't have the same hair color I could tell you apart better! You used to have darker hair, didn't you?" Eric asked.

"Yep, sorry to confuse you," I replied.

So people like it when we different hair color because we look different. We have had a different hair color since coming to college, so this is throwing so many people off.

Here's what I think about that:

1. Obviously people were getting lazy and couldn't really tell us apart besides our differing hair colors. I guess having the same color will force people to actually take the effort to get to know each of us now. GASP!
2. We didn't start dyeing our hair until we were 16. And for that matter, our hair color wasn't different until Senior year of high school. So for 18 years, how did people tell us apart? There must have been some way to see a difference.
3. Our personalities are polar opposites at times. If you can't tell us apart within the first minute of one us opening our mouths, I'd be shocked.
4. I also understand I am a bit insensitive considering I don't have to tell twins apart very often. So I don't have the sympathy I probably should for those who think we look a lot alike....oh well.
5. Ultimately, I'll take it as compliment. I was always told I was the "ugly twin" growing up for those who could tell us apart. So I'd rather people having trouble telling us apart. Maybe some don't think I'm the ugly twin anymore. That would be lovely.

I couldn't find any pictures of Eryn and I where we had our hair the same or were dressed similarly, but here's the newest one I have:

Now let's look at us when we had almost the same hair color in almost the same outfit:


I'll have to admit, we look A LOT alike in this one. I'll also admit that I have trouble sometimes with this picture at a quick glance. Maybe when my memory gets really bad one day I won't be able to tell us apart in this one anymore. Who knows.

Anyway, the moral to this story is that I don't care if people have trouble telling Eryn and I apart anymore. I've tried too long to try to be an individual and now all I want to take advantage of being a twin. Why try to be something I'm not? I can't help it that I share the exact same DNA with another person on this planet. That may make me a freak, but I don't care. Not. One. Bit.